Presenting an Informed Argument in Academic Writing

Academic writing is one of the many hurtles that high school and college students have to jump through. It is a complex procedure, and for good reason. Teachers assign academic writing because they want to get you thinking at a deeper, more insightful level. This isn’t an easy task; abstract thought, idea generation and analytical concepts are among the top most difficult skills to master. Luckily, you as a student get repeated opportunities to hone your skills at academic writing. Unluckily, you may already feel completely overwhelmed or beset by these assignments. Instead of feeling hopeless or ignorant, students should approach academic writing as opportunities to improve their own thinking and writing skills.

Sure, academic writing is a golden opportunity – but that doesn’t mean you’re ready for it! Most students don’t even know how to go about presenting academic writing arguments, let alone writing them up in an interesting fashion. Amazingly, though, presenting a clear, informed argument in an academic writing piece is not that difficult. Students need only to remember a few simple guidelines in order to present such a cohesive argument every time they compose a paper.

The first thing that students must understand is the argument itself. What are you trying to argue? What is your supposed position on the issue? Then ensure that any relevant evidence you’ve gathered – any applicable research data, quotes, studies or survey – show evidence towards your thesis. The biggest key?Understanding it all. Presenting an informed argument, means being informed! You need to know what your major points are for your argument. For example, children should watch less television because (a) it gives them more time to read, do homework and exercise, (b) it encourages family interaction, and (c) is better for their eye health and overall well-being. These are three major points to an argument that should then be backed by credible evidence.

The best way to go about presenting an informed argument in your academic writing, such as the example above, is to craft an outline. This will allow you to map out your introduction and conclusion. It will also let you map the major points in your argument, and pair your evidence with relevant areas. The points and evidence become related paragraphs, which you transition between when you transition major points. Outlines will keep you from cluttering up your paper and eventually crafting a clear, informed piece that’s easily accessible to the reader. Presenting informed arguments, as a result, is not so difficult after all; as long as you know these little tricks!